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Dayaa Sathakam (51-60)

From the Bhakti List Archives

Skswami • August 4, 1998 


                     Srimaan Venkatanaathaaryaha kavithaarkika kesari|
                  Vedanthaachaaryavaryome sannidhaththaam sadhaa hrudi||


Dear Bhaagavathaas,

"Daivaadheenam jagathsarvam". God is the basis of all. And Love  is the basis
of God. How beautiful, blissful and peaceful it is to experience this love!
Our dearest Swami Desikan gives a glimpse of his experience in Daya Sathakam.
With my most humble and loving  namaskaarams to the achaarya and to Sriya:
pathi, may I share the following summary translation with you, in postings
comprising about ten slokas at a time. (This posting includes slokams 51-60)

The translation is based on the commentary and explanations by Sri Srinivasa
Raghavacharyar Swami, published in the Tamil book, Daya Sathakam, by the Sri
Desika Dharsana Sabhai, Villivaakkam, Madras. Sri Srinivasa Raghavacharyar
Swami says that the Daya Sathakam is a sastra, sthothra, poem, painting, an
endless spring of water and an illumining light. My prayers to Sriman Narayana
for everyone of us to follow in the footsteps of our acharyas,  practice what
they illustrated with their conduct and experience the Love of the Lord
(rasovai saha) that they experienced.

All errors are your humble servantÂ’s.

Daasan
Sundararaghavan Krishnaswami Sarma
---------------------------------------------------------------

                                                 Dayaa Sathakam
                                                  (Slokams 51 - 60)

51.  O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! Man, who is very poor and has no recourse,
needs to reach the abode of the Lord. As a first step in this effort, he earns
you. You are the path that takes him to the seat of the Lord. You take him out
of the mire of desires and place him at the Lotus Feet of the Lord, making him
a really rich man!

52.  O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! The people who approach you with the
feeling that you are the only refuge (abhimukyam) receive the highest wealth.
You nullify their sins immediately. You are like the river Saraswathi that is
manifest here some and hidden there some. Like this, you remove all sins with
manifested actions sometimes and at other times, with actions that are not so
evident.

53.   O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! You transform in a playful manner mere
mortals in to Siva, Brahma and residents of Thirumala Hill (at the abode of
Lord Srinivasa). You are always disposed to doing beneficial things for
others.

54.  O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! You are like the river Ganga. You remove
all sins just as the river Ganga does when one takes a dip in it. Just as the
Ganga does, you nourish the whole world. Ganga has taken birth at the Lotus
Feet of the Lord and you embrace the Lotus Feet. As the Ganga, you provide
three types of rewards - wealth, detachment (giving up of worldly bonds) and
salvation.

55.  O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! You and the river Ganga are both specially
reputed. Extolled by the Vedas, both of you promote the welfare of the world,
remove the sins (in the flood of Love) and provide cool comfort to the hot and
distressed. Both of you have in your possession the hamsa, the mathsya and the
koorma. (The swan, the fish and the toroise of course can be found in the
ganga. The LordÂ’s Love also sports these avataarams).

56.  O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! There are many varieties of compassion and
love pertaining to worldly matters. These offer limited and temporary benefits
only. In that process, in fact, they give more grief. But yours is unlimited
love that motivates everything else. You have given us the wealth called the
Lord of Seven Hills.

57.  (O The Love of Lord Venkatesa!) PeopleÂ’s mentality is to embrace
supporters and shun opposers. This is the way of the world. But, how is it
possible to shed even an element of doubt about you who has been extolled by
the Vedas?

58.  (O The Love of Lord Venkatesa!) The Lord Thiruvenkatamudaiyan is of the
hue of water-bearing clouds. The rains come from Him  and nourish (remove the
grief of) the world. These rains are the grace of Love. Just as the chaataka
birds take only the drops of water falling from the sky, the good people
surrender only to you (ananya bhakthi).

59.  (O The Love of Lord Venkatesa!) The Lord who is manifesting Himself on
Thirumala Hills is a supreme sculptor, an excellent painter who paints movable
and immovable paintings. With you as the painting brush, He has indeed painted
beautiful paintings in my heart. Acharyas like Emberumaanaar, Aalavandhaar
affirm that there is no higher good than surrendering everything to you. 

60.  (O The Love of Lord  Venkatesa!) You are soft-hearted. You shower
benefits on those who have given up desires; you are supreme; you protect the
noble jnanis; you delegate your responsibilities to the wise; you are so
sweet; you are the darling of the Lord who has taken abode on Thirumala Hills;
you are the home of all auspiciousness! Please direct your flood of Love to
uproot the banyan tree that is my samsaaram.
                                             __________________________

                                     Kavithaarkika simhaaya kalyaana guna
saaline|
                        		Srimathe Venkatesaya vedaantha guravennamaha||